Newsletter #59: Why the Savage X Fenty show is necessary viewing

One morning I recorded a podcast episode dedicated to the Savage Fenty show, discussing its importance and several of the beauty looks we saw in Volumes 1-3 and later that evening the news of Rihanna apparently booking actor Johnny Depp for the show came out. Full disclosure: I am not attached to the Johnny Vs Amber story because it looked like an absolute sh*t show - whether that was in Johnny’s bed, who knows. But yeah, basically it just looked like a bunch of people shouting at another bunch of people. All I can say is, perhaps, as a fellow alleged victim of domestic abuse, Rihanna wanted to prove a point with hiring Johnny. Or perhaps it’s just a case of controversy making for good viewing.

Either way - I’m not addressing that part in this newsletter.

Savage Fenty launched in 2018, and held its first fashion show that same year, before broadcasting Vol. 1, the televised show, in 2019. Since its launch it has influenced pretty much everyone and everything – base line, it’s definitely changed the way many brands choose to market to us.

I feel that today, the show gives us an inspired and evolved take on the Victoria’s Secret Show. That started in 1995 and ended in 2018 and much like Savage Fenty, it was a televised fashion show aimed at making sales, but, although, at one time it was seen as the sexiest show on earth, eventually we realised it only ever objectified one body type, one gender type playing very traditional gender roles and there was a very limited array of skin tones, and zero body diversity. Add to that frequent criticism over costumes that bordered on cultural appropriation, and all this in a post #MeToo era, and it’s clear, the world does not want another Victoria’s Secret show.

From the very first show, Rihanna said she was looking for unique characteristics from people who aren’t usually highlighted in the world of fashion. She intended for diversity to be celebrated, something she’s always maintained with Fenty Beauty too.

In a world where you can listen to a podcast featuring a male casting agent telling two young women that he thinks all women should be skinny but have boobs and an ass - the same world that’s supposedly become so body positive, I think the Fenty show is pretty much essential viewing - for anyone in the fashion or entertainment industry, but also anyone who has ever felt less than perfect when it comes to their body or their looks.

Aside from all of the above, I think the Savage Fenty show is Rihanna’s way of reminding the fashion and beauty industries of just how much she’s done and how relevant she is, aside from her music. She’s often the butt of jokes when it comes to her music and we’ve already seen memes mocking her more curvy shape post-baby and poking fun at whether she’ll actually sing live, while dancing, when she performs at the Super Bowl in February. I don’t know what drives her, but by focusing on beauty and fashion that makes every body feel included, she has absolutely secured herself a place of immense relevance to culture at large. I feel the show itself is almost like a service Rihanna provides to make us all love ourselves a little bit more.

As well as the Savage X Fenty special episode (#149 anywhere you like to listen) I also recorded my review of the Volume 4 show, which you can listen to below.